Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond got their NatWest T20 Blast campaign off to a flying start at Taunton on Friday night.

After a delayed start due to rain, Kent made up for lost time with a stunning batting display during the 13 overs-a-side contest.

Bell-Drummond and skipper Rob Key plundered 85 runs in 6.2 overs for the first wicket before Key was trapped leg before for 46 from 22 balls.

Daniel Bell-Drummond. Picture: Barry Goodwin

Together with Darren Stevens, Bell-Drummond help take Kent to 158-2 before he went with less than two overs to go, making a T20 career-best score of 59 in 30 balls.

Stevens was in typical swashbuckling mood and smashed 47 from just 20 balls before he also departed in the penultimate over.

The final over of Kent’s innings saw Sam Northeast and Sam Billings fall cheaply but they still managed to post an imposing 164-5.

Stevens removed Marcus Trescothick for just three in the third over of Somerset’s reply Doug Bollinger bowled Peter Trego and Stevens removed Alviro Petersen to leave Somerset struggling on 39-3 from 4.5 overs.

Opener Craig Kieswetter aided their recovery with 40 from 28 balls and James Hildreth finished 58 not out from 29 balls but they could not prevent Kent winning by 42 runs.

Stevens took 2-14 in three overs and Bollinger returned 3-36 as Somerset concluded on 122-5 in 13 overs.